Could we have imagined, even two years ago, that our world would be gripped with terror at the prospect of a pandemic recalling the bad memories of past centuries, plague, cholera, and even the Spanish flu of 1917?
Although the first data showed that this coronavirus designated by the WHO as Covid 19 was virulent, the induced mortality did not exceed 0.8% of the affected patients. This being the case, those who were affected could develop serious forms, making it mandatory to hospitalize them in intensive care services.
For example, the first measures taken by the authorities of all countries were aimed at limiting contamination and in France we remember the very strict containment measures, the closure of all public places and shops, as well as the application of barrier gestures and the widespread wearing of masks, but it soon became clear that the answer could only come through the development of vaccines and the pharmaceutical industry did its job in unprecedented time in their development.
Since the beginning of 2021, they are available. And, to date, more than 30 million French people have been vaccinated. But the question arises, which causes reluctance for those who are not yet vaccinated, are anti-Covid vaccines effective or dangerous?
Covid-19 vaccine, an acquired immunity
Experience after mass vaccinations shows that vaccinated people are protected, in the event of contamination, from all serious forms of Covid-19 andrisks of contamination Other people are weak if they carry the virus because their viral load is very low.The coronaviruswere not vaccinated.
Any side effects?
All vaccines, even medicines, have side effects. Most of them are minimal and hardly ever felt. What is measured is the risk-benefit ratio. That’s why many safety tests are performed on volunteers with strict protocols. This is before any marketing authorization is decided by the health authorities. This was the case for the various COVID vaccines.
Secondly, complications, induced pathologies and deaths are examined by the health authorities after the first mass vaccinations are placed on the market, and this allows reliable statistical modelling of the percentage. To date, the figures show that 1.3 people per million doses, regardless of age and the vaccine used, have suffered from complications and pathologies as a result of the injections.
Different side effects
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Side effects of discomfort
They correspond to those that can be induced by any type of injection with the penetration of a needle into the skin or a muscle. Redness, swelling of the injection area, sensation of slight pain, gene, etc. These reactions are quite benign and disappear after a few hours. Nevertheless, the body can react, since these are vaccines. So induce a reaction of the immune system, with a slight febrile surge after the injection. A dose of an analgesic and antipyretic such as one tablet of paracetamol is sufficient to solve the problem.
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Allergic reactions
On the other hand, cases corresponding to 1.3 people per million doses that require hospitalization are usually severe anaphylactic allergic reactions that occur within the hour after the injection. Therefore, before any injection, there is a process. The person is questioned to see if they have ever developed allergic attacks in the past. These allergic reactions are treated with injections of adrenaline and corticosteroids.
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More serious complications
Health authorities in some countries have recorded cases of thrombosis (blood vessel blocked by a clot). It is still difficult to attribute these pathologies to the injection of a vaccine. These patients could have developed this pathology without it. However, it has been hypothesized that there is a correlation between vaccination and the occurrence of thrombosis. It should be noted that these cases are extremely rare. Other observations of heart attacks have been described.
